


Partners

by Finn565



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Hope its not too OOC, M/M, Slow Burn, but not to slow, i have no idea how to write crane so, i kinda made my own joker??? I guess???, joker is not subtle at all, this defiantly excludes jared leto joker and ben flick bats cus fuck that universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finn565/pseuds/Finn565
Summary: Something new is happening to Gotham, and Bruce's only help is the clown.





	1. Chapter 1

Batman watches his city with a confused expression. This isn’t normal, then again what's normal for Gotham. Green smog isn’t, he guesses, it's not on the list of normal things. Its rolling into the city and it smells foul.

“I don’t understand.” He says aloud, watching the smog roll in. “It came from nowhere.”

“Sir, it's moving in rather quickly.” Alfred speaks into his ear piece. 

“Does the computer have any indication as to who might have done it? Or what it is?” There's silence from the other end of the conversation.

“No, sir.” Alfred speaks again.

“Damn it. Well who could it be then. Who's out of Arkham as far as we know?” Some more silence before the butler answers. 

“Bane, Two-face, Ivy, and Joker.”

The Joker “That explains the green.” He frowns. 

“Should I leave you to your work, sir.”

“That would be best. I’ll bring the clown in tonight.”

It shouldn't be to hard to locate the Joker. The madman is usually doing something around Gotham, no matter the scale of the crime. He’s correct in that sense, it only takes him a couple hours to jump down from a building and be directly behind the clown.

“Well good evening, Bats~” The joker grins at him. He's quick to get rid of it, smashing the man's face into the nearest wall. He holds the clowns wrists behind his back, Bruce’s other hand on his neck. “No foreplay tonight?~”

“What is the smoke.” He says it as a command, that's the only way he might get somewhere.

“Ah, so you’ve noticed it too?” The Joker is grinning again until it's erased by a cough. The madman has laughed, giggled, and chuckled at him but never coughed.

“What’s going on?”

“Not sure, bats, since this fog rolled in I’ve been hacking up a storm.” 

“What have you done?”  He pulls the clown back and roughly slams him back against the wall.

The madman only giggles as a response to the rough treatment. “You really think I would infect myself with my own creation? Why in the world would I do that?”

Bruce doesn’t have a logical explanation for that. He can feel his own lungs starting to tickle, his sinuses swelling. Whatever the fog is, its fast acting on whoever breathes it in. He lets out the smallest of coughs and hopes Joker won’t acknowledge it. Wishful thinking.

“Ah, so you’ve got it too?~” The clown grins back at him.

He doesn’t answer the other man, who seems compliant in his hands. Not struggling or fighting back against him. “I have a proposition.” He doesn’t like the way it's going just from the tone of voice. “You probably need some samples to see what this is right?”

“I’m infected I can use my own samples.”

“But some variety would be helpful, would it not?” Joker looks back at him, “I’m actually offering to help. Weird isn't it?”

He narrows his eyes at the man in front of him. Joker doesn't do anything just to do things. There's always some ulterior motive. Something the clown thinks he can get out of the situation. “Why?”

“Well, perhaps, if this thing can kill, I’m not ready to go yet.” 

Bruce runs the lines through his head several times, the way it was said, the expression it was said with, and he can’t find anything wrong. Either the Joker is getting better at lying or he's telling the truth. He has reason to believe the first is more likely than the clown giving him the truth, but there's nothing he can do about it in his current position. 

“Fine, you’re coming with me. Handcuffed.”

“It wouldn’t be normal if yah didn’t cuff me.” Joker smiles wide at him. Batman flips the man around and quickly cuffs him. He tightens them a bit too tight, he knows better though. From his experience handcuffs can be a weapon if Joker so wishes them to be. 

The man is still grinning at him as he says the words, “Kinky, bats~”

He ignores the joke as usual, the man has said similar things so many times in the past that they don’t bother him as much as they used to. It still lights a flame of anger in him. Silently he ushers the man away and eventually into the batmobile.

“I haven’t been in here in awhile!” The man seems excited as he climbs into the other side. “Usually you’re taking me to Arkham. Are we going to your cave, bats?”

“Quiet.” he pulls a sack out of his belt and starts pulling it over the clown’s head.

“Ah! So we are! But bats.” There's a silence, in which bruce closes the door to the batmobile and he can tell the Joker is smiling under the sack. “I’m no fool~”

His heart rate spikes and he looks over at the man, he can practically hear the smiling getting wider.

“I know where the cave is.”

Bruce’s blood turns cold. Does he know or is he ignorant like most of the other villains and just playing him. This option is most likely, the madman does like to play mind games. If he does know is his secret safe with the clown or will joker’s loudmouth be a problem. He hopes the clown will answer these questions on his own. He's not one to just stop talking, but knowing Bruce’s luck he doesn’t. The clown is silent for once. And all he can be lead to think is that yes, Joker knows who he is. 

He doesn’t remove the bag and drives carefully through back alleys to avoid anyone seeing them. It doesn't take long for them to arrive at the batcave. 

“I’m going to need a saliva sample, and a blood sample.”

“Saliva sample yes. Blood no.” Joker takes the bag off himself and climbs out of the car before Bruce can stop him.

He swiftly exits the car, right on the Joker’s tail, “Blood yes. You agreed to help.”

“No. No needles.” Joker walks through the cave like he knows the place, exerting confidence that suggests he  _ owns _ the place. “Take the blood from yourself.”

“I need variation.” He grips the Joker’s arm as the clown starts to inspect everything. The man grimacing at him.

“I can get you variation but it's not going to come from me.” The other man pulls his arm away, glaring daggers. 

“Fine.” He grabs a medical kit from a wall and brings it over. “Open your mouth.”

“Ooo, straightforward man. Aren’t you, Bats?” The Joker makes a show of dropping his jaw and sticking his tongue out.

Bruce wishes he could roll his eyes and have it be seen by the madman. He takes a q-tip and collects the sample. Giving it to the computer to analyze. He takes his own sample but takes his own blood sample as well. “I’m going to need that other blood sample.”

Joker hoists himself up onto a counter and seems to mull it over. “Well, I’ve got a few men and women eating out of my hands. I’m sure they would be willing to give us some blood.”

“What have you done to them.”

The Joker smiles at this, laughing lightly, “So funny how you jump to the conclusion that I’m doing something to them. Is it so hard to believe that some people actually just find me charming? That some people just like me?” Joker’s grin widens. 

“Yes. Take me to them.”

“Rude. and so very hasty I might add.” 

“Take me to them.” He says again but this time with a harsh edge to his voice.

“Oh I love when you talk dirty to me, Batsy-baby~. You might want to bag me again, if you’re still worried about that.”

Bruce huffs and walks to scoop the bag up from the floor. He forces it over the clown's head who laughs from under the bag. What’s so funny all the time, Bruce will never know. He leads the madman to his car before climbing in. “Where are we going.”

“Fifth and main, I suppose that's where he’ll be.”

“He?” Bruce asks as he takes off.

“Oh, a real doll. Isaac is one of my favorite men.” Joker takes the bag off once they’ve driven away, something the way he says it seems to imply so many things that Bruce would rather not think about. 

“Fine, but we get the blood and then we leave.”

“Aw what is it, Batsy?~” Joker grins at him, “Jealous?”

He chooses not to answer as whatever he says will only cause him more harm. Joker throws his head back and cackles at that before lurching forward with a wide grin. “Stop!” The madman is already throwing the passenger door open before he's touched the brakes.

“Joker!” He slams hard on the brakes and stop the car just as the clown is leaving it. 

“Isaac, baby!~” Joker spreads his arms wide. A man with floppy brown hair turns his  head towards them. He's wearing a hoodie but it's easy to see that the man is strong. This man coughs slightly. 

“J?” The man turns fully towards the joker and accepts a warm hug. He wasn’t even aware the Joker was capable of giving hugs.

“We need a favor, sweetie~” the Joker flutters his eyelashes at the henchman.

Bruce notes the tone of voice and the body language used. These two have been intimate before, he was correct. He pushes the thought away and tries not to think about it.

“What do you need?” Isaac sounds so very willing, he can’t wrap his head around why anyone would be this devoted to the mad man. Bruce can even see a soft look in the man’s eyes. 

“Just a blood sample, sugar~” 

The man looks from batman to the joker and then nods slowly. Isaac offers his arm out and Bruce pulls a syringe out of his belt. He takes the man’s blood out by first taping his vein to bring it to the top. He doesn’t have way to get the blood to come any faster. 

Joker takes the man’s hand gently in his own and whispers into his ear. Isaac blushes and avoids all eye contact, Bruce can only imagine the things the clown is saying. But he's really trying not to.

“You did so good, baby~” The clown pecks the man's cheek and a stark red lipstick mark is left behind. He drops the syringe into a bag for safe keeping.

“C’mon, Joker.” He turns to leave and the clown whispers to the man one more time before waving and then following him. “You and that man-”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, he's just a henchmen.” Joker giggles, “with benefits.” 

“Are you even aware your actions have any consequences at all.”

“Probably not.” Joker smiles before Bruce offers him the bag again. “Batsy, we’ve been over this. I know where the cave is.”

“Put it on, Joker.”

“You’re no fun.” the clown takes the bag and pulls it over his head. The drive is mostly silent except the every so often chuckle from the clown.

“Say, Bats” the clown turns his body to face him in the car. “How about a joke?” He stays silent because he knows the joke will be told no matter what answer he gives. “How does a crazy person travel through the woods?” The joker is giggling before he even finishes the joke. “A psychopath!~” 

The madman slumps back in his chair. A flurry of laughter rising out from behind the bag. Bruce doesn’t laugh at the joke, just like normal. He drives them into the cave before letting the other man know the bag may be removed. 

Joker rips the bag off and exits the car. “You need a sense of humor, bats.” 

He walks ahead of the clown and towards his computer. He takes the syringe out and give it to his computer. The data starts running and he sits down in his large chair.

Joker's arms snake around his neck, he grabs the man’s wrists before the arms can fully wrap around him. The handcuffs are gone. They must have been removed while they were driving, most likely during the joke. He leaves it for now, Bruce can take the joker in a fight any day. Sure he’ll come out with some new scars, but they both will. He’ll win in the end, anyways. 

The touch wasn’t a threat, and that's what has Bruce on edge. Fights are easy, whatever this was isn’t easy. Inface it's very dangerous. “What do you think you’re doing?” He grips tighter, enough to start hurting. Joker doesn’t fight against him, however. And doesn’t give an answer either. “Don’t do that.” He removes the arms.

“You are absolutely no fun, are you?” Joker grins at him.

He ignores the clown “The data says this is a virus, man made.”

“I know a couple people who that could be. Crane is exceptionally good at things like this but I can’t see him figuring out that kind of tech. Al Ghul is my second best guess. We can talk to both of them.”

“You know where they are?” Bruce turns his chair around, the clown has a large grin on his face. 

“Prehaps. But if I give you this information then you owe me something~” The Joker's grin grows larger at that. 

Owing the Joker anything is almost always a bad thing. It could mean lives. It could mean something important to him. It could endanger the city and his family. Gotham is already in danger however, and he needs that information. “What do I owe you?” 

“Now, now, now, so eager. I’ll tell you when you owe it to me.” even more dangerous but unfortunately for Bruce, he doesn’t have any other options. 

“Okay.” he puts his hand out and the clown grips his hand, smirking.

“I’ve got a few little birdies who can get me that information fairly quick.”

“Wait I thought you knew where they were!” 

The clown takes his hand back quickly, as if the deal is off if he doesn’t. “No take backs, I’m going to find out for you anyways, its just we might have to wait a day.”

“We don’t have a day.”

“I’ll make that as clear as I can, but it takes however long it takes, bats.” The clown shrugs with another smile.

“Fine. How do we contact these people.”

“Oh I know where they are. But this time  _ you’ll _ have to wear a bag.”

 

***

 

Bruce should have washed the bag before agreeing to put it on. Its stiff and smells like the clown. Who seems to drive like a madman rather than a regular person. 

“Are your eyes even on the road?” He grunts as they take a hard turn.

“Yes~ oh isn’t this fun!” Another hard turn. The Joker swings the car around and he has to grip the handle in the car. “Here we are. You can go ahead and take that off now, sweets.”

Bruce pulls the bag off and watches as the Joker is already walking away from the car. He grunts as he gets out of the car quickly.

The clown walks up to a large warehouse and knocks once, his knuckles rest against the metal before he pulls them away and the door opens. 

“J?” A man with short choppy hair is behind the door. 

The Joker pushes his way in. “Stay here, Batsy. I need to have a chat with these three alone.” 

“No tri-”

“No tricks, they just, ah, don’t trust you.” the Joker winks at him before disappearing behind the metal door. He doesn’t want to leave the clown in there alone but he supposes he doesn’t have any other choice. It doesn't take very long, anyhow. Joker comes back, fixing his lipstick. 

“They say it will take them a good five hours but they should be able to get the location of both in record time~”

“What did you do?” Bruce furrows his brow and narrows his eyes. 

“It's none of your business, okay. Now we wait for them to get back to us.” Joker pushes a hand through his hair as it's sticking up in some places. A jump of something hot and angry pushes through him. 

“Fine.” He says through clenched teeth.

“I’m gonna need you to put that bag back on, Bats” Joker grins at him. He puts the bag on until the clown says he can take it off and they trade places in the car.

“How will they get back to us?”

“They’ll get back to me. Not us. And you’ll have to drive us to our pick up spot. We have five hours.”

“Well what do we do till then?”

“Oh, I can think of a few things~” 

He ignores the comment and keeps driving, “Where's the drop off location?” One glance at the Joker reveals that the clown is watching him intently.

“Its at a hotel on main. Out front. In a light fixture.” Bruce knows the one and changes his course to head that way. “Well it won’t be there right now.”

“We are going to wait for them to drop it off.”

“For five hours, Bats!?” The clown sits up and looks at him. “I’ll loose my mind sitting in a car for that long with nothing to do.”

“That's unfortunate isn’t it.” He slows the car down and parks on the opposite block. He doesn’t trust the clown enough to go their separate ways and get back to one another. He certainly doesn't trust the Joker to be in the cave while he's out. 

It's almost as if the clown sense his thoughts. “Oh, bat, you're gonna have to learn to give me a little leadway.”

“You’re a murder.” The Joker laughs at that, head tilted back and everything. “It wasn’t a joke.”

“Oh, sugar, I know.” The madman grins. He will never understand why murder victims are so funny to this man. Why explosions are fun, why playing with people like it's a game is so entertaining. Bruce turns his attention to watching for signs of anyone leaving a message. 

“Well if you don’t mind, I am going to sleep. It's been ages since I’ve had a good rest.” The joker shifts and lets the seat fall back. “Oh wow, bats. These seats go all the way back don’t they.” The implication in the man’s voice is a familiar, but tiring, one. 

“When was the last time you slept?” He looks over briefly, the madman is facing him. Eyes seeming heavy as he looks up, those green eyes looking so very very tired.

“Do you remember the night you cuffed me last and I fell asleep in the batmobile on our way to your favorite drop off point?”

“This is not a ‘batmobile’, and that was a week ago. There's no way you last slept a week ago.”

“Well, this is the safest place to do it. Can’t imagine a better place for a snooze, bats~” The clown's eyes have closed. 

He turns his attention away again. The last time the Joker slept was in his presence. The only thing he can conclude from that is the clown feels safe while he's there. Its an old psychological human trait; sleeping with others around, and awake, is a sign of trust. 

For some reason, the thought brings a small smile to his face. The joker, an infamous killer, trickster, and psychopath, feels safe sleeping with him in the same space. 

If he can conclude that the Joker hasn’t slept since and feels safe with him in the car, then it's safe to assume he's the only person the clown feels safe to sleep around. After all, he stays with Harley and all his henchmen. If he's not safe around the men then he should feel safe around Harley. She's a good friend of his, as far as he knows. 

Out of the corner of his eye he sees someone come up to the light fixture and put something in it. Bruce waits for them to leave before turning to the clown. One look tells him he definitely shouldn’t wake the sleeping man. 

He opens the door as silently as he can and leaves the safety of the car. He makes his way silently to the fixture before he takes the paper out and reenters the car. 

Upon his return the clown sits up, yawning and look at him with a sleepy smile. “Got it?”

Something in his heart clenches up, if he had more time he would think it through but he shakes that off. “Yes.”

“Hand it over, big boy.” Joker puts a hand out and he ignores the clown. Unfolding it and reading what's on the note. “Hey!”

The note is unreadable, it has squares with circles and without, and diamonds with the same no circle, circle pattern. “What-”

The joker snatches the note from him, looking it over. “Crane is on the edge of the city, Al Gul is hanging out on cedar. Who do you want to visit first?” The joker grins. 


	2. Chapter 2

They decide to give Crane a visit first, it's a long drive and joker tells many jokes. He's had enough by the end of the ride. He wishes the clown would stop. 

“This is it~” Joker points, pressing a finger to the window.

“Are you sure?” Bruce looks at an old abandoned apartment complex, it seems empty.

“Oh yah, Crane loves this kind of stuff~” joker is opening up his door already so Bruce scrambles to open his own.

“Alright, here's my plan. You hang back and I go in and talk to him.”

“No. That's a terrible idea.” 

“Just trust me, I'll just have a chat, while you stick to the shadows~” 

He looks the Joker over but there's no hint of the clown turning on him. “Fine” he says through clenched teeth. 

“Good boy.” The Joker turns away from him and he does as he's been told, he sticks to the shadows but follows not far behind. 

“Craaaaane!~” Joker makes a show of twirling around a yelling. Why did he think the madman was going to stay silent. 

_ “ _ Joker.” The Scarecrow grimaces, two of the several men with the masked man stand up. 

“Long time no see!” Joker smiles at the man, “heard yah been up to no good” the clowns laugh turns into a cough. 

“Yes I suppose,” crane looks the clown over. “I haven't been up to anything though.” 

“Don't lie, Jonny. It's unflattering.” 

“I'm not up to anything, all my men and I are sick.” 

“You've inflicted yourself? That's a new way of doing things. I might steal it.”

“I haven't done anything, so would you fuck off. I'm busy.”

“Doing what?” Joker grins and raises his eyebrows. Crossing his arms behind his back and rocking on his heels. The clowns fingers motion to him. It takes a moment but he understands the clue to move closer to crane. 

“None of your business, go away. I have no use for your jeering.” 

“I would respect me a bit more if I were you I brought company.” Joker's grin widens.

“None of your little henchmen scare me.” Crane scoffs and turns to leave, motioning for the others to follow him.

“No, not them. I brought someone we are all familiar with.” 

The scarecrow hesitates, stops walking away and turns around. “He doesn't like you.”

Jokers smile is gone, it falls straight off his face and is replaced with something more wicked. “Well I know the bat doesn't like you even more right at the moment, so it would seem I'm on good terms.” The clown's voice is full of hatred.

“The hell you are, go!” Crane breaks into a run and so do his men.

“Bats!” The Joker starts running as well. 

He's already moving quickly out of the shadows and after the people running. “You take Crane down and I'll go after the henchmen?” Joker smiles at him.

“You either don't kill them or you help me get scarecrow.” He glances over.

“You're no fun, but can you really deal with letting them go?” Joker’s smile widens. 

Bruce grimaces back. He doesn't want them to get away but he doesn't want them dead. “Yes. For now the person we need is just Crane.” 

“Fine, have it your way~”

“And you're not killing him either.” They round the corner and the Scarecrow comes back into view.

“Absolutely no fun!” Joker laughs before Crane whips around. He's brandishing a syringe. Bruce keeps going but takes note that the Joker has come to a complete stop. 

As he approaches the Scarecrow dives at him, trying to plunge the needle into him. He grips the man's wrist and tries to grip hard enough for the masked man to drop it. 

“Who has the virus.” 

“I've no idea I assure you” Crane twists his wrist, trying desperately to stab him. A foot knocks both there hands and the syringe flies. 

“Sorry bats, got a thing about needles.” 

“I have other ways of giving you the serum, clown.” Crane dives for the madman next, but the Joker is quicker and stronger than he looks, Bruce knows from experience. 

Joker takes two fingers and jabs them into the scarecrows side, the masked man letting out a small cry of pain before the clown flips him on his back on the pavement. 

He can see the look is the madman's eyes as he pulls a knife. “Joker! Enough!” 

The clown looks at Bruce, angry but not as hungry for blood. He steps closer and picks the Scarecrow up by the front of his shirt. “Tell me who's got the virus.” 

“Some new guy, real big. Serum doesn't work on him. Something different about his DNA.”

“Name.” 

“He didn't give it to me.” 

Bruce checks over what's said to him to make sure nothing was a lie. He pushes the man down to his knees by a light pole and fastens his arms behind his back around it. 

“If you let the police take me away, why wouldn't you leave the clown too.” 

Bruce turns to look at the Joker, currently stepping down on the syringe. It cracks under the mad mans shoe. “He's with me right now.” 

The Joker looks up with a smile. “Should we figure out who this new fellow is?” Bruce huffs, turning away. The Joker scrambles to follow after him. “I have an idea if you're willing to listen to me.”

Bruce looks back at the clown who's grinning at him still. “We set up a trap. It does involve blowing up a building, though.”

“No.”

“It can be an empty one.” The madman shrugs and grins at him. “It will draw attention to me and you can follow us. It's worked for me a couple times.”

“What happens when they take you in?”

“You trail behind us with all your stealthy bat powers and boom, we know where they are and who they are.”

“It could work in theory, but the building has to be empty.”

“You can choose the building, I’ll make the bomb.”

Bruce gives the clown a sideways glance, the man is smiling back at him. “Can I trust you to make the bomb?”

“I promise they will be safe and sound~” Joker gives him a wink and he rolls his eyes, the action hidden behind his glowing eyes.

“Fine, but you use supplies in the cave.”

“I’ll make do~”

 

***

 

Bruce watches as the clown work with diligent hands, never looking away but finding what he wants for tools by just feeling around himself. The man only talks to him when he needs a break, “can I take a shower?” 

“Yes, there’s a shower down here in the cave. It's not private, however.” 

“That's fine.” The Joker gets up and he gestures for the clown to follow. The man is already shedding his clothes before they get there. All his skin is pure white, almost glowing in the low light of the cave. “Just gonna stare, sugar?” 

Bruce adverts his eyes as the man moves his hips to take his slacks off. “Can I trust you to stay here and not run off. I have to take a shower myself.” He's been wearing this suit for an uncomfortable amount of time. 

“You could join me?” He hears the water start up and assumes the man is in the water now. 

He ignores the usual comment, “Can I trust you?”

The Joker sighs, “Yes, we have a truce.” 

Bruce hesitates before leaving to get into the elevator. Once he's up in the mansion he makes his way to the nearest bathroom and strips out of the suit. He rinses off and grabs a new suit.

When he returns to the cave the clown is dressed and back to working. “How's it coming?”

“I’m just putting on the finishing touches.” Joker smiles wide, he looks over the man's shoulder to see the bomb. 

“That will blow up a building?”

“She's got a bigger bite than her bark, I promise.”

Bruce walks to the computer and quickly types some requirements in. “Sounds like there's a building not to far from here. Its empty, and is scheduled to be demolished in two days anyways.” 

“Always got to be safe, don’t yah?” the clown walks over, “But it’ll do I suppose.”

 

***

 

The Joker is standing on a building roof, this one's not empty but the one he's looking at is. He’s been itching for it, working next to his bat has made it impossible for him to have any sort of fun. Hes practically buzzing with excitement. 

“Ready when you are.” The bat speaks through the com in his ear. He looks up to where he knows the dark figure is blending in a couple buildings over. 

“Do you know where mary went when the bomb went off?” There's no answer from the other line like usual “Everywhere.” He laughs as he presses the button. 

The building jumps slightly, then the windows blow out, the structure collapsing as fire blows out the sides. Hes giggling, laughing, practically rolling on the floor. He loves the sound of a building collapsing.

“I’m seeing movement, sit tight.” The bat says into his ear.

“You got it, sugar.” he smiles and gets ready to sit and wait. 

It doesn't take very long for two people in suits to show up. One a women and one a man. He grins at them, “Well hello there~”

They don’t talk, he can feel them waiting for him to make a move. He shifts and pulls a knife, but when he moves towards them one of the men pulls a taser and shoots. He's surprised, not just from the shock but because the person pulled it faster than he could move.

His body seized up and his legs fell out from under him, he heard the crack of his head hitting the pavement more than he felt it. The two scoop him up and cuff him, he can’t speak or fight against them. A blow to his head makes his vision swim and another blow registrars him unconscious. 

 

***

 

Joker’s eyes open and his vision is blurry, his head is pounding. He can see there’s a desk with a light over it, and directly in front of him a hand comes into focus. The hand has his ear piece in it, but when he moves to grab the piece he finds he's tied to a chair. The hand crushes the piece in its fist and his vision clears a bit.

There's a man standing to the side of him, he’d say the man is roughly six foot eight. He has pitch black hair that's smoothed back but he can tell it's puffy under the gell. His face is scarred heavily, one of his eyes is grey from a scar and the other is stark yellow. 

“Hello, my name is Wolfgang.” The man has a deep imposing voice, but it's flat and sounds un-interested in anything. “Now the only reason I can think that you would blow up an empty building is to get attention, Joker.”

“Correct!” He smiles up at the man.

“Or should I refer to you as Ja-”

He notes the syllables in the name that's about to be said and he yells out “NO!” 

Wolfgang stops, he doesn’t know how this man knows his real name but he's glad he didn’t say it aloud. “I know you bought the bat with you but he currently can’t help you.”

He recomposes himself to retort, “Well, we don’t need him around right now do we. I have some questions.”

“Oh you do?” Wolfgang crosses in front of him, sitting at that desk. 

“Is this smoke you're doing?” Joker grins at the man, not expecting an answer.

“Yes.” Wolfgang says and his eyebrows raise up.

“Is there a way to cure it?’

“Yes.” 

He tries to see if the man if lying but he can't seem to see any indication that he might be. Why would the man tell him this. “That sure is sweet of you to let me know, why would you do that?” He smiles rather sweetly, blinking his eyes rapidly.

“Because you’ll be taking a swim in the bay.” Two hands grab him and start moving him and the chair. His smile falls. 

“What?” He struggles against the hands but he can tell it's useless.

“Goodbye, Joker.” Wolfgang says in a flat voice.

 

***

 

Bruce has been waiting for an unreasonably long time, Joker’s piece must has fallen out or become damaged. He hates to admit it but he's worried for the clown. He’s waiting on the building across from a warehouse, he knows full well that it not empty though. Whoever this person is, they have a whole operation going. 

In the time he's taken to sit and watch the warehouse for any signs of movement he's been thinking. His palms are sweaty, and his stomach seems to drop when he thinks the madman might be in danger. He's only ever felt like this one other time, though Selina never felt this strong. 

Just when he thinks he should go down and break in to help, the man emerges. Struggling against two other people. They untie him from the chair but quickly push him down to his knees. The two people cuff the man. Bruce notices that he doesn’t make any remarks besides saying “Let me go!” and pushing against them.

It becomes clear to him what they are planning when they attach his ankles to a cinder block. His eyes widen and he stands up as they push the madman into the water. Joker flops and flounders at the surface of the water. The two push the block into the water and the clown sinks like a stone, bubbles trailing up in his descent.

Bruce wastes no time and jumps down, taking the two by surprise. One of them hits him hard in the stomach right off the bat and he can feel a bruise beginning to take form right away. He is painfully aware that the other is unnaturally fast. 

The first tries to hit him again but he moves to kick the person’s feet out from under them. As they hit the ground the other is moving to hit him, it happens within moments of each hit. He can’t seem to even see the other man as they continue to barrage him with jabs and solid hits. 

He catches a glimpse of the water, the bubbles are getting smaller, he doesn’t have time to be playing this game. He spins and sees that the man has made a fatal mistake. He lands a punch to the person’s jaw that sends them skittering  across the dock. He turns and dives into the water. 

Joker sits at the bottom, moving ever so slightly but no air is leaking out of his agape mouth. His heart drops, as he sees the man’s eyes are closed and his pulse isn’t racing. He tries hard to take the chains off. Hes unable to wrench them off so instead he pushes them down. He can see he's scrapping the man's ankle but he's frantic. Panicking because he's losing air and the man is dying. 

A strong surge of emotion runs through him as the shackles slip off in a bloody mess. He grabs the man around the middle and pushes off the ground. At the surface he tosses the man up onto the dock and scrambles to get up himself. He breaths deep for a minute before returning to the clown

The Joker’s hair is fanned out, wet and sticking to his face in some areas still. He cups the madman’s cheeks, but the man doesn’t respond. Bruce takes a deep breath before pressing his mouth over the others, he breathes air into the clown’s lungs. He pushes down on the man’s chest, trying to get the Joker to breath.

Again he presses his mouth over the man’s and breathes into him, pressing on his chest. “Come on.” He repeats the action, desperately trying to get the clown to breath.

The Joker sits upright and water flies from his mouth, the clown takes deep breaths, eyes unfocused before looking at him. “My hero~” The mad man collapses back, breathing but unconscious. 

Bruce scoops the Joker into his arms and starts back to the manor. He has to warm this man up and get him back to a healthy condition. 


End file.
